Drop Everything And Read

Animation sketch from a couple days ago. I've had a few people ask me lately how I have time for making these so often. So I thought I might explain a little about these sketches. 

First of all, they are just that. Sketches. Not fancy, full-blown projects. Usually, I make them when I have a million ideas bouncing around in my head and I can't figure out how they fit together. Sitting at a table with my Moleskine doesn't always help. So I make a test animation. I play with movement. I think about timing. And it gets me thinking about things incrementally. So then my ideas become a lot clearer. Even though when I make animations like the above (Drop Everything And Read), I'm often thinking about the movement of something completely different, like Legos maybe. Or sometimes I'm experimenting with lighting or testing my camera remote. 

So these are just like a sketchbook to me. I do keep a regular sketchbook, but lately, it has filled up with writing and lists and frame numbers as I'm editing animations. Usually, though, I like to collage in them. Maybe I'll share them someday.

Anyway, these animation sketches don't take me long at all. I probably spend about 15 to 20 minutes shooting (a nice break to relax a little), and then another 10 to 15 minutes editing. And the editing process, for my sketches, consist of me importing 300 or so images to iMovie, changing the default still duration, cropping the images/fitting them to screen, and picking out music. I usually don't think about the music for these until I am editing. And then I just try to find something that fits.

Working on "serious" animations, though, is a whole other story. But I'll explain that process another day.

Right now, I'm working on editing my big ol' animation project. Particularly, adjusting color and tweaking the timing. I've got a final shoot to do in a little bit. I've been praying the weather will clear up. Come on, Cleveland. Don't let me down.

April Showers...

...mess up outdoor animation plans.

Today felt surreal, to say the least. It was weird being away from my family this time of year. And the weather was far too pleasant for Good Friday. So I said my rosaries sitting in the sunshine and enjoying it. It made it hard to be solemn, so I decided to be thankful instead.

After being mostly Amish between 12 and 3pm, things took a turn. I have yet another thing on my plate of stuff to deal with. I was then going to shoot an outdoor animation sequence, hopefully getting in some good sunset back lighting. However, they lied about the weather and as I got closer to the location, the sky became grayer. It looked so certain of rain. So I rescheduled today's shoot for tomorrow. Pray for good weather!

I'm officially staying in my studio now until I finish editing my animation. Which I think might be a real possibility today. I've taken some time to relax. I have a tripod & my camera in case I need a break and want to make an animation sketch. I'm determined to be productive.

It's rather hard to concentrate when it's Daffodil Season, though. Even if my favorite flowers have been shifting from daffodils and sunflowers to peonies and ranunculus.

1. Daffodil, 2. Daffodil Field

1. Soft Pink Peonies, 2. Pink Peony, 3. Pink parfait ---- peonies, 4. Coral Peony, 5. Peonies in a Vase, 6. Pale Peonies

1. flower, ranunculus, 2. Ranunculus Bouquet, 3. A Riot of Ranunculus, Carlsbad, California, 4. ever decreasing circles, 5. A Paradise of Pink, 6. happy together, 7. pink ranunculus, 8. I'll be there for you, 9. Petticoat Junction

No Vacancy

This is the longer version of Keep Breathing. Like I said before, it was just me playing around and taking a nice relaxing break from all of my stressful work (which I still love...).

If you pay attention, as I go further away from the camera in the first scene, the waistband of my dress ends up lining up with the rail of the balcony. It's so interesting looking. Total accident, but I think I like it. It really confuses the eye once you notice it.

So when I take a break from serious animations, I make silly little sketches, or not so silly ones, like this. What do you do to relax?

Keep Breathing

Yesterday, I was told that I really needed to take a break. I have been swamped with work and been spending too many nights working until 4 or 5am. It's exhausting, and I finally realized that if I didn't take a break now, I would just continue to slow down. So I went home, while it was still light outside!, and decided to play. So I went outside right behind my apartment and hooked up my camera remote, and made it up as I went along. I couldn't decide on whether or not I wanted to leave in color, so I made two versions. I'll post the longer, black and white version shortly.

By the way, I had 3 different people tell me yesterday that I looked like Snow White. Which was really funny to me, because I picture Snow White as wearing yellow, red, and blue, and me being the Disney expert that I consider myself, it took me by surprise. So what do you think?

Maybe it's the headband?

Daydream with Fawn

Another little animation sketch I made as a warm up before working on my Peter Pan Complex documentary. The Littlest Pet Shop deer is borrowed from Mia, and it's so cute, I want to keep it in my pocket!